Wayne

Formed January 1, 1870 (44^th county)

Wayne County (9,698), Wayne (5,974)                

The outstanding red brick Richardsonian Romanesque facility was constructed in 1899.  It is sited on Pearl, 5^th, Lincoln, and 6^th streets.  Nebraska State Highway 15 is one block to the east of the site.  Orff and Guilbert were the designers.  The building was being remodeled in 2020.  It sits on a hill and features a tower.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was organized on January 1, 1870 from Native American Territory as the 44^th county.  Wayne has always been the county seat.  The county and county seat are named for American Revolutionary War General Alexander Wayne. 

Wayne County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve Wayne, Antelope, Cuming, Knox, Madison, Pierce, and Stanton counties (judicial.)  The county is located in northeast Nebraska.  Sioux City, Iowa is northeast and Omaha, Nebraska is southeast of the county.  The county is 9.6 miles West of Wayne nearer Carroll.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cedar, Dixon, Thurston, Cuming, Stanton, Madison, and Pierce counties. 

The area of the county is 444 square miles.  It is 80 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 27 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 21.8 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 93 in the state.  Wayne County has 73.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county looks like the State of Utah.  The City of Wayne is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Wayne is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 61.6% of the county population.